Recent evidence from neurophysiology and human functional neuroimaging has given rise
to the hypothesis that social, affective touch belongs to a distinct category of tactile …

Social touch plays a powerful role in human life, with important physical and mental health
benefits in development and adulthood. Touch is central in building the foundations of social …

The mammalian need for social proximity, attachment and belonging may have an adaptive
and evolutionary value in terms of survival and reproductive success. Consequently …

Social touch—the affiliative skin-to-skin contact between individuals—can rapidly evoke
emotions of comfort, pleasure, or calm, and is essential for mental and physical well-being …

Surprisingly little scientific research has been conducted on the topic of interpersonal touch
over the years, despite the importance of touch in our everyday social interactions from birth …

A growing body of evidence from the behavioural and neural sciences indicates that social
touch has a vital role in human development and psychological well-being. Despite some …

Social touch is increasingly utilized in a variety of psychological interventions, ranging from
parent-child interventions to psychotherapeutic treatments. Less attention has been paid …

Neuroscientific research on pleasant touch has focused on the C-tactile pathway for gentle
stroking and has successfully explained how these sensory fibers transmit information about …

Interpersonal touch is of paramount importance in human social bonding and close
relationships, allowing a unique channel for affect communication. So far the effect of touch …

In general, social neuroscience research tends to focus on visual and auditory channels as
routes for social information. However, because the skin is the site of events and processes …